Electric toothbrush

ABSTRACT

An electric toothbrush includes a handle housing a motor and a drive shaft. A brushing member includes a base removably secured to the handle. The base supports at least two brushes, each configured to rotate about separate axes, and at least one input shaft operatively coupling the drive shaft to the brushes. In one example, the handle includes an articulateable joint operatively connected to the brushing member and configured to permit the axes to cant relative to the handle.

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/244,104, filed on Sep. 21, 2009.

BACKGROUND

Electric toothbrushes are available in a variety of configurations. The most common configuration is a handle housing a motor and a single drive element. A brushing member having a single brush is removably secured to the handle and is operatively driven by the drive element.

Another configuration includes a pair of brushes rotationally driven in opposite directions, as disclosed in DE 373546 to Linde. Each brush is separately inserted into the handle and coupled to the drive element. As a result, a greater number of parts must be manipulated by the user, making brush changes more complicated. Moreover, the rotational axes of the brushes are fixed relative to the handle, which may make full engagement between the brushes and the user's teeth more difficult.

SUMMARY

An electric toothbrush includes a handle housing a motor and a drive shaft. A brushing member includes a base removably secured to the handle. The base supports at least two brushes, each configured to rotate about separate axes, and at least one input shaft operatively coupling the drive shaft to the brushes. In one example, the handle includes an articulateable joint operatively connected to the brushing member and configured to permit the axes to cant relative to the handle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a schematic view of an example electric toothbrush.

FIG. 1B is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a removable brushing member shown in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1C is a perspective view of another example removable brushing member.

FIG. 1D is an enlarged plane view of an example electric toothbrush control.

FIG. 1E is a side elevational view of the electric toothbrush control illustrated in FIG. 1D.

FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate another example removable brushing member configuration.

FIGS. 3A-3B illustrate another example removable brushing member configuration.

FIG. 4 illustrates yet another removable brushing member.

FIG. 5 illustrates a removable brushing member similar to that shown in FIG. 1C with an additional fixed brush.

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates an example multi-brush drive train.

FIG. 7 illustrates another example multi-brush drive train.

FIGS. 8A-8C illustrate an example articulateable joint supporting the brushing member relative to the handle.

FIG. 9A-9B illustrates another example articulateable joint.

FIG. 10 illustrates an example lock for the articulateable joint shown in FIG. 9A.

FIG. 11 illustrates another example lock for the articulateable joint illustrated in FIG. 9A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, an electric toothbrush 10 includes a handle 12 having controls 14. Like numerals are used throughout this disclosure to indicate like elements. The controls 14 may provide various features, as indicated in 9-11 on page 2B, for example.

An end 16 of the handle 12 removably supports a brushing member 20 at a joint 22. The brushing member 20 includes a base 26 that supports the brush 24 for rotation about an axis. The handle 12 houses a driving element such as a driveshaft 18 that rotates a drive lug 28, which cooperates with a driven lug 30 carried by the base 26.

A release button 19 is used to selectively lock the brushing member 20 in a position relative to the handle 12. In one example, the release button 19 simply selectively secures the brushing member 20 to the handle 12. In another example, the release button 19 retains the brushing member 20 in a desired canted position relative to the handle 12, as illustrated in FIGS. 12A-12B.

A dual brush arrangement 120 is illustrated in FIG. 1C. The dual brush arrangement 120 includes a pair of brushes 24 for rotation about separate axes that are generally parallel to one another. A gap 32 is provided between the brushes 24 to accommodate teeth of the user such that both sides of the teeth can be simultaneously brushed by the electric toothbrush 10. It should be understood, however, that a gap 32 need not be provided and that the brushes 24 may be arranged in close proximity to one another such that they overlap slightly with one another. In the example, the brushes 24 rotate in opposite directions, i.e., one brush rotates counterclockwise and the other brush rotates clockwise.

FIGS. 2A-4 illustrate various configurations for removably securing the base of the brushing member to the handle 12. Referring to FIGS. 2A-2C (page 5B), the base 126 includes a recess 36 to accommodate the drive lug 28 as the base 126 is slidably received on an end of the handle 112. The base 126 and handle 112 include complementary features that interlock with one another to maintain the drive lug 28 and driven lug 30 into engagement with one another during operation of the electric toothbrush 10. In one example, the base 126 includes an exterior surface 34 having a shape (generally triangular, for example) that is complementary to a shape provided by retaining elements 38 on the handle 112. In operation, the base 126 is aligned with a slot 40 such that the recess 36 is facing the drive lug 28. The base 126 is slid into the slot 40 until the drive lug 28 engages the driven lug 30. The driven lug 30 may include an open end that is aligned with the drive lug 28 during insertion of the base 126 into the handle 112. Alternatively, the release button 19 is configured to retract the drive lug 28, obviating the need for the recess 36 and open end on the driven lug 30.

Another example configuration is illustrated in FIGS. 3A-3B. The base 226 includes opposing legs 134 adjacent slots that receive complementary retaining elements 138. The legs 134 are received in corresponding slots 140 with the base 226 installed into the handle 212. Another example base 326 is illustrated in FIG. 4. The base 326 another configuration of a slot 236, which cooperates with a correspondingly shaped feature on the handle 12.

Example brushes are depicted in FIG. 5. A pair of brushes 24 are provided for relative rotation with respect to one another. The brushes 24 each include at least two sets of bristles 42, 44 that are oriented differently than one another. In one example, the brush 24 includes a first set of bristles 42 that extends generally radially outwardly (almost perpendicularly) from the brushes' axis of rotation. A second set of bristles 44 extends from the axis of rotation at a more acute angle than the first set of the bristles 42. In this manner, the set of bristles located near a terminal end 46 are more perpendicular to the user's teeth than the set of bristles in closer proximity to the handle, enabling the second set of bristles 44 to better clean the generally horizontal portion of the user's teeth.

Another dual brush arrangement 220 having a base 426 is shown in FIG. 6. A fixed brush 48 is supported on the base 426 between the brushes 24 beneath the gap 32. In this manner, the fixed brush 48 engages the generally horizontal portion of a tooth while the spaced apart brushes 24 engage the lateral surfaces of the tooth. The fixed brush 48 may also be movable. The three brushes 24, 48 cooperate to simultaneously brush all sides of a tooth, which greatly reduces brushing time and increases efficiency.

A dual brush arrangement 120 is schematically illustrated in more detail in FIG. 7. The dual brush arrangement 120 includes a base 26 housing a drive train 50. The drive train 50 may be configured differently than illustrated, if desired. The base 26 supports an input shaft 54 connected to the driven lug 30, which may be provided at the joint 22. The input shaft 54 is coupled to the drive train 50 to rotationally drive output shafts 52 connected to the brushes 24. In the example shown, the drive train 50 is configured to provide opposite rotation of the brushes 24.

Various joints are illustrated in FIGS. 8A-12B. One example joint 22 includes a cup 58 supported on a ball 56 in a snap-fit relationship. The cup 58 includes an inner surface 57 having multiple protrusions 60. In one example, the protrusions are arranged along intersecting horizontal and vertical planes. The ball 56 includes corresponding recesses 62 on an outer surface 59 complementary in shape to the protrusions 60 and also arranged in intersecting horizontal and vertical planes. The protrusions and recesses 60, 62 provide a “home” position in which the brushing member 20 is locked relative to the handle 12 in a particular orientation, for example, with the brush or brushes 24 extending longitudinally from the handle 12. Applying a lateral force to the brushing member 20 relative to the handle 12 unlocks the cup 58 from the ball 56 enabling the brushing member 20 to swivel and/or cant relative to the handle 12, which enables the brushing member 20 to be positioned in a more convenient orientation with respect to the handle 12 providing easier access to the user's teeth. The protrusions and recesses may be provided over a greater area of the ball and cup, if desired.

A similar arrangement is illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10. The joint 122 includes a ball 156 having movable balls 66 that are biased outward from the ball 156 by a spring element 64. The spring element 64 is affixed to the ball 156 by a fixing element 68. The spring element 64 urges the balls 66 into engagement with complementary shaped protrusions in the cup 158. The cup 158, which is shown in FIG. 11, includes multiple protrusions 162 arranged on its inner surface 157 in a pattern similar to that of a golf ball surface, which enables the cup 158 to be locked relative to the balls 156 in a great number of positions. Referring to FIGS. 12A and 12B, the balls 66 can be retracted by the release button, which is interconnected to the balls 66 by a connection 70.

Although example embodiments have been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An electric toothbrush comprising: a handle housing a motor and a drive shaft; a brushing member including a base removably secured to the handle, the base supporting at least two brushes each configured to rotate about separate axes, and at least one input shaft operatively coupling the drive shaft to the brushes.
 2. The electric toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the brushing member has a single input shaft coupled to the drive shaft, the input shaft operative coupled to at least two output shafts respectively connected to the at least two brushes.
 3. The electric toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein another brush is affixed to the base between the at least two brushes, with the other brush including bristles extending generally in the direction of the axes.
 4. The electric toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the handle includes a first feature and the base includes a second feature interlocking with the first featured in a mounted position, the first and second features slideable relative to one another from an unmounted position to the mounted position in a direction transverse to the axes.
 5. The electric toothbrush according to claim 4, wherein the handle includes a drive lug configured to be operatively driven by the motor, the base includes a slot configured to accommodate the drive lug when moving the base between unmounted and mounted positions.
 6. The electric toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the handle includes an articulateable joint operatively connected to the brushing member and configured to permit the axes to cant relative to the handle.
 7. The electric toothbrush according to claim 6, wherein the articulateable joint includes a ball and cup arrangement with at least one detent provided between the ball and cup configured to maintain a desired orientation.
 8. The electric toothbrush according to claim 7, wherein the at least one detent includes a spring load configured to bias the detent into engagement with the cup.
 9. The electric toothbrush according to claim 8, wherein the handle includes a release button, the button operative connected to the detent to reduce the spring load.
 10. The electric toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the handle includes a release button and a retractable lock, the retractable lock cooperating with the base in a mounted position to selectively retain the base on the handle.
 11. The electric toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the handle includes an input switch in communication with the motor and configured to be slidable relative to an exterior in first and second opposing directions and depressable in a third direction transverse to the first and second directions.
 12. The electric toothbrush according to claim 11, wherein the input switch is a wheel.
 13. The electric toothbrush according to claim 11, wherein the first and second directions respectively correspond to first and second opposing rotational directions of the brushes about the axes, and the third direction corresponds to an on/off mode.
 14. The electric toothbrush according to claim 13, wherein the a sliding distance in the first and first and second direction corresponds to a speed, the speed configured to increase with a corresponding increase in distance from a central input switch position.
 15. The electric toothbrush according to claim 13, wherein the third direction corresponds to a pulsate mode.
 16. A brushing member comprising: a base supporting at least two brushes, each configured to rotate about separate axes provided by output shafts; and an interlocking attachment feature provided on the base and configured to removable secure the base to an electric toothbrush handle.
 17. The brushing member according to claim 16, wherein the base includes at least one input shaft, and a drive train is operatively couples the input shaft the output shafts and is configured to provide rotation of the brushes in opposite rotational directions.
 18. The brushing member according to claim 16, another brush is affixed to the base between the at least two brushes. 